Cayuga phonology
Modern dialects There are two varieties of Cayuga. The Lower Cayuga dialect is spoken by those of the Lower End of the Six Nations and the Upper Cayuga are from the Upper End. The main difference between the two is that the Lower Cayuga use the sound and the Upper use the sound . Froman, Frances, Alfred Keye, Lottie Keye and Carrie Dyck. English-Cayuga/Cayuga-English Dictionary. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2002, p. xii Also, pronunciation differs between individual speakers of Cayuga and their preferences. Vowels There are 5 oral vowels in Cayuga, as well as four long vowels, , , , and .Froman, 2002, p. xxxii Cayuga also has 3 nasalized vowels, , , and .Froman, 2002, p. xxxi Both and are rare sounds in Cayuga. Sometimes, the sounds and are used interchangeably according to the speaker's preference. After long and , an sound can be heard, especially when before , , , , , and . Vowels can be devoiced allophonically, indicated in the orthography used at Six Nations by underlining them. Froman, 2002, p. xxx-xxxii Long vowels Length is important because it alone can distinguish two completely different meanings from one another. For example: haʔseʔ you are going haʔse: you went Froman, 2002, p.xxxii Devoiced vowels Following are some words that demonstrate what some vowels sound like when they occur before h. , , , and õha, and sound like a whispered , and and sound like a whispered . Furthermore, the in and is nasalized because of and . The consonant before the nasalized vowel becomes voiceless. Also, odd-numbered vowels followed by are devoiced, while even-numbered vowels followed by are not. Consonants The first sound in each pair is voiceless. Froman, 2002, p. xxxvi-xxxviii Allophonic variations that occur in Cayuga: becomes devoiced before devoiced consonants. The sound d does not exist word-finally. Froman, 2002, p. xxxvi becomes devoiced before devoiced consonants. becomes before or . becomes and before and , respectively. Speakers may use and interchangeably according to the speaker’s preference. can be voiceless (sounds like followed by . can also be voiceless (sounds like followed by ) : "A vowel devoices if the vowel and a following are in an odd-numbered syllable." For example: the in The vowel is voiced when it and a following are in an even-numbered syllable and in “absolute word-initial position or in word-final position, or preceded by another .” For example: '' 'tell her' '' '' 'she writes' '' Accent Most words have accented vowels, resulting in a higher pitch. Where the stress is placed is dependent on the “position of the word in the phrase.” The default location for stress for nouns is on final vowel. “In words that are at the end of a phrase, accent falls on the 2nd last vowel, the 3rd last vowel, or occasionally, on the 4th vowel from the end of the word.” For example: '' ‘I just heard it’ '' Froman, 2002, p. xxxiii These sounds are long, especially in an even-numbered position. When nouns and verbs are not at the end of a phrase, accent is placed on the final vowel. For example: '' ‘I heard it, I didn’t see it’ '' References